Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, Costa Rica and San Ramon

For one person, living costs are similar in San Rafael and in San Ramon: $1,718 and $1,739 a month, rent and utilities included.

83

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index

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San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,718

/mo nomad

San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael and in San Ramon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Rafael and in San Ramon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,718 per month in San Rafael vs $1,739 in San Ramon, rent included.

San Rafael $1,718
San Ramon $1,739

A couple spends around $2,741 per month in San Rafael vs $2,736 in San Ramon, rent included.

San Rafael $2,741
San Ramon $2,736

A family of three spends $3,765 per month in San Rafael vs $3,733 in San Ramon, rent included.

San Rafael $3,765
San Ramon $3,733

San Rafael and San Ramon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both San Rafael and San Ramon sit above the global median – San Rafael by 27%, San Ramon by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.45 ₡5,597

$12.12 ₡5,450

2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$57.5 ₡25.8K

8.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 ₡5,315

$11.65 ₡5,240

1.46%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,951

$4.11 ₡1,850

5.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$2.65 ₡1,191

-1.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡866

$1.84 ₡829

4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,484

$3.22 ₡1,450

2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ₡2,007

$4.47 ₡2,011

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,039

$2.39 ₡1,076

-3.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₡1,375

$2.94 ₡1,321

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,074

$2.53 ₡1,138

-5.53%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,589

$5.03 ₡2,261

-29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 ₡4,813

$10.90 ₡4,901

-1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,772

$10.51 ₡4,724

0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 ₡6,232

$13.89 ₡6,248

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 ₡2,301

$4.97 ₡2,236

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.56 ₡703

2.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,197

$3.39 ₡1,526

44.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 ₡1,718

$3.40 ₡1,528

12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,671

$3.14 ₡1,413

18.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,666

$3.22 ₡1,450

15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.24 ₡560

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,439

$2.66 ₡1,197

20.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,696

$5.83 ₡2,623

2.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 ₡8,846

$16.18 ₡7,276

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₡1,291

$2.61 ₡1,173

9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₡1,595

$2.75 ₡1,237

29.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡607

$1.30 ₡585

3.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,107

$2.50 ₡1,123

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡728

$1.55 ₡696

4.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₡3,978

$8.76 ₡3,938

1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.50 ₡673

4.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$33.9K ₡15.2M

0.24%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.2K ₡19.0M

$41.2K ₡18.5M

2.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.5 ₡43.4K

$145 ₡65.2K

-33.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.72 ₡16.1K

$43.72 ₡19.7K

-18.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.9K

$53.0 ₡23.8K

12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ₡30.7K

$68.4 ₡30.8K

-0.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ₡3,478

$7.91 ₡3,559

-2.28%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$985 ₡442.8K

$850 ₡382.3K

15.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-2.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 ₡32.5K

$70.8 ₡31.8K

2.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 ₡25.6K

$55.7 ₡25.0K

2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$128 ₡57.6K

-1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.6K

$129 ₡58.2K

2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 ₡357.3K

$804 ₡361.7K

-1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₡279.3K

$621 ₡279.4K

-0.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 ₡849.2K

$1,930 ₡868.1K

-2.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 ₡571.8K

$1,261 ₡567.3K

0.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 ₡521.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 ₡523.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Rafael: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Ramon: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$621 36.1%

San Ramon

$621 35.7% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$400 23.3%

San Ramon

$379 21.8% 5.3% $21

Eating Out

San Rafael

$231 13.4%

San Ramon

$224 12.9% 2.7% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$192 11.2%

San Ramon

$242 13.9% 26% $50

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$175 10.2%

San Ramon

$173 9.9% 1.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$84 4.9%

San Ramon

$84 4.8% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

San Rafael

$16 * 0.9%

San Ramon

$15 * 0.9% 3.3% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in San Rafael versus $804 in San Ramon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Rafael versus $57 in San Ramon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $379 – making San Ramon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

Same time as San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

10,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Rafael San Ramon 41 km

From you

San Rafael
San Ramon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Rafael vs San Ramon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in San Rafael and $2,608 in San Ramon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $795 in San Rafael and $804 in San Ramon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $985 per month in San Rafael and $850 in San Ramon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in San Ramon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,718 in San Rafael and $1,739 in San Ramon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.